Scotch

Glenmorangie

Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the most intriguing and delicious single malt whisky in the world. Still hand-crafted by the 16 men of Tain in the Highlands of Scotland, Glenmorangie continues time-honored traditions dating back to 1843.

The malt whisky stills at Glenmorangie are the tallest in Scotland, ensuring that only the lightest and most complex vapors ascend and are captured for prolonged maturation in the finest oak casks.

The whisky gently matures in the unique microclimate of low ceilinged, earthen floored warehouses overlooking the remote waters of the Dornoch Firth. Glenmorangie has pioneered the art of extra maturing Scotch whisky in casks that previously held some of the world's finest wine. After a period of maturation in ex-bourbon casks, the whisky is transferred for a further period of extra maturation. Using casks that previously held sherry, port or sauternes wines retains the essential balance of Glenmorangie, whilst creating multiple layers of aroma, taste and texture.

Glenmorangie has won international recognition, awarded "Innovator of the Year" at the Icons of Whisky Awards for both 2008 and 2009. Glenmorangie's "Sonnalta PX" scored 96.5pts and was awarded "Best New Scotch Brand" in Jim Murray's 2010 Whisky Bible. Glenmorangie Ealanta earned the title of "World Whisky of the Year" in the 2014 edition of the Whisky Bible.

For his ground-breaking work in the whisky industry, Malt Advocate Magazine awarded Master Distiller, Dr. Bill Lumsden "Industry Leader of the Year" for the third time. He is the only person ever to have won the award more than once. The best-selling single malt whisky in Scotland for almost 40 years, Glenmorangie is a malt whisky that is sure to delight the discerning palates of both novices and connoisseurs alike.

LocationGlenmorangie is produced at The Distillery Coy, which is located in the village of Tain (in Ross-Shire, in the Scottish Highlands, in Scotland’s oldest Royal Burgh).

The NameGlenmorangie comes from the Scots Gaelic Gleann mor na sithe which means 'valley of tranquility', a perfect description of the peaceful setting near Tain.

Our Logo: The SignetAt the end of the eighth century AD, on a windy Peninsula in the far North East of Scotland, one of the most significant pieces of early European sculpture, the Hilton of Cadboll Stone, was being carefully carved by the people who the Romans called Picts (meaning “the painted people” because they decorated their bodies with inks and pigments).

Centuries later, battered by time and half destroyed, the original stone was relocated to the National Museum in Scotland for safe keeping. The highly skilled carvings on the Cadboll Stone would come to inspire our brand emblem, the Signet and motivating us to commission Barry Grove, a local sculptor, to recreate a stone by hand with a hammer and chisel. Work began on this enormous slab of sandstone in 2000, but it would take Barry over four years of painstaking labour before the sculpture, a testament to the skill of both the ancient Pictish and modern day Scottish people, could be re-installed on its original location, on Glenmorangie Distillery land.

In 1843, a farmer, William Matheson, established the Glenmorangie whisky distillery in northern Scotland's Highlands. Situated a mile to the northwest of the village of Tain, Glenmorangie was one of the first licensed distilleries in the area and Matheson, along with a team of experts known as "the sixteen men of Tain," created what has become the best-selling malt whisky in the UK. The Glenmorangie distillery and brand changed hands a few times after Matheson's death, but was eventually purchased by a local distributor called McDonald & Muir in 1918. The distributor owned the company until it was purchased by LVMH in 2004.

Glenmorangie is produced using very lightly peated malt. The wash produced from this malt is distilled using the tallest copper pot stills in Scotland. Seventeen feet tall stills help to create an incredibly delicate and complex whisky. These stills were originally made for distilling gin, but William Matheson saw that they would be perfect for making his unique whisky spirit. Thanks to these innovations, the resulting spirit, after requisite ageing, is known within malt whisky circles for its “fragrant, sweet and flowery” taste profile, as one noted commentator once described Glenmorangie after taking a “wee” sip!

In addition to these special stills, Glenmorangie uses the smallest spirit cut in the industry in order to retain the finest, most elegant spirit. In this context, a “cut” means the amount – greater or lesser – a master distiller elects to retain from the “heart” of an entire distillation run, which is roughly divided into three successive sequences: the “heads”, being the first part, the “heart” in the middle, and the “tails”, being at the end. So the “cut” referred to above comes from the “heart”, which is always considered the purest and best portion in this three-stage distillation process. At most distilleries, the average spirit cut is 19–20% of the distillate; at Glenmorangie it is 17%.

After two distillations, the spirit is aged in casks where it takes on much of its character. Glenmorangie utilizes many types of casks to develop flavors and complexity in its whisky. No other Scotch distiller has done as much to master the art of maturation. The varieties of casks used include: Bourbon casks with an average 195-liter capacity, bourbon hogsheads of 250 liters, Bourbon puncheons of 500 liters, Sherry butts, or long casks with the same capacity as bourbon barrels, port pipes of 500 liters.

Tasters at Glenmorangie are confident that their whisky is completely mature after ten years because the desired style is a whisky of a light, fragrant and delicate character. These attributes come from the tall stills and the lightly peated malt. The purest characters of the malt and water come through at an early age, while the character of the cask comes through after extended aging. This is particularly true of first-fill casks.

Many of the Scotches produced at Glenmorangie are bottled after an optimal period of aging in ex-Bourbon casks, or 10-25 years. Others undergo a period of "finishing" in another type of cask. This finishing period can last from 6-24 months.

According to the experience of the Master Blender, Scotch matures more quickly in Burgundy casks, so those whiskies are only finished for six months. The wood in Sherry, Port, and Madeira casks has already released the majority of flavoring materials to the wine so these Scotches take on more character from the wine than from the wood. Whiskies are normally aged in these barrels for 24 months. Glenmorangie was the first distillery to introduce bottlings based on this idea of finishing casks.

The core of the Glenmorangie range is The Original, a 10-year old malt whisky, aged exclusively in first and second fill ex-Bourbon casks. Some of these casks are made with old growth oak from a Glenmorangie-owned forest in the Ozarks. These casks are leased to Bourbon distilleries Heaven Hill and Jack Daniels. Glenmorangie was a pioneer in the use of ex-Bourbon casks, and a majority of Scotch producers have followed suit.

Prior to bottling, most Glenmorangie whiskies (aside from Ardbeg and Glenmorangie Original) are chill-filtered to prevent the development of a haze during shipment. The process used is called soft chill filtering in which the spirit is chilled to 4°C (39°F). Some distilleries prefer greater stability and chill to -4° C (25°F), but the distillers at Glenmorangie believe this strips too much of the character from the spirit.

When barley is malted, the compound ethyl laurate is produced. This compound solidifies at low temperatures and will produce a haze or worse, a big blob, in the whisky. The completely harmless ethyl laurate haze will disappear at room temperature, but chill filtering removes ethyl laurate, preventing a haze entirely. Some producers leave the compound in their whiskies because it gives a smooth silkiness to the spirit. Whiskies of this type are usually labeled as such in order to prevent difficulties with alarmed consumers. Single malts with an alcohol level above 43% needn't undergo this process, which is used at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg for the extra matured ranges and artisanal offerings.

The Glenmorangie Company now comprises both Glenmorangie and Ardbeg and the blending and bottling facility known as Broxburn. There are approximately 360,000 casks of whisky aging at Broxburn and another 200,000 aging off site. The casks are stored at a constant temperature of 12 – 14°C year round, without rotation or topping up. Casks are organized with universal bar codes, and they are maintained by an on-site cooper.

Scotch from Ardbeg are shipped in cask and emptied (tipped) at Broxburn, while those from Glenmorangie are tipped at the distillery and shipped in tanker. Upon receipt the whisky is broken down with water to 67% abv for cask aging, and the alcohol level is again adjusted at bottling. In both cases, de-mineralized well water is used.

Blending tanks of 25,000 liters are used, and the whisky is pumped in, homogenized, and sent to the bottling line without an extended marrying period. Just prior to bottling, the color of some whiskies is adjusted with caramel made from molasses (as is all spirit caramel). No caramel is added to Ardbeg, and little if any is added to the other whiskies bottled as single malts. Casks are palletized for aging and stacked on end.

It is the opinion of the tasters at Glenmorangie that their whisky is completely mature after ten years. This is the case because it is essentially of a light and delicate character. Two reasons account for this: it is produced in the tallest stills in the Highlands, and it is produced from very lightly peated malt. It is also true that the pure characters of the malt and water come through at an earlier age, while the character of the cask comes through with longer, extended aging. This is particularly true of first fill casks.

Long viewed as a critical component in malt whisky production, as the type and profile of this or that natural spring water helps distinguish one malt whisky from another, the water from Glenmorangie’s Tarlogie Springs imbues Glenmorangie single malt whisky with its characteristic fragrance, lightness and elegance.

The Tarlogie Springs, Glenmorangie's own water source and most prized asset, is the product of rain that has been forcing its way through layers of limestone and sandstone for a hundred years. These natural minerals give it its 'hard' water qualities and provide Glenmorangie with a raw ingredient unique amongst Highland distilleries. Our ancient ancestors drank here, considering the pure, mineral-rich waters of the Springs to be sacred. We think they're pretty special too!

Glenmorangie the OriginalThis bottling is "The Original" expression of our elegant, floral spirit and the real backbone of the Glenmorangie range. A ten-year-old single malt Scotch whisky, Glenmorangie Original is produced by marrying the delicate spirit that emerges from Scotland's tallest stills, with first and second fill American white oak casks producing a signature style of softness and complexity. This single malt Scotch whisky is non-chill-filtered, a process that maintains its body, texture and sumptuous flavors. (Ardbeg single malt Scotch whisky is similarly non-chill filtered; again in a process which yields terrific body, texture and flavors.)

AromaSweet and complex. The scent of citrus and ripening peaches is softened by the aroma of vanilla.

TasteSoft texture on the palate. At first, vanilla is detected on the tongue before it ripples along the palate bringing a burst of floral and fruit flavors.

FinishVanilla on the finish as well as a clean and soothing aftertaste with hints of orange and peach.

ColorPale gold color

Dr. Bill Lumsden, head of distilling and whisky creation at Glenmorangie discusses The Original (view on YouTube).

Glenmorangie's Extra Matured RangeMany of Glenmorangie's special bottlings include single malt Scotch whiskies aged in casks sourced from as far away as France (used formerly to age Sauternes or Burgundy wines), Portugal (from either Port or Madeira casks), Spain (Sherry), and the United States (American Straight Whiskey or Bourbon barrels). As a result, Glenmorangie has one of the largest and most varied ranges of cask-conditioned single malt Scotch whiskies to offer discerning single malt Scotch whisky lovers.

In an exclusive line, Glenmorangie, which is an acknowledged leader in wood maturation, offers a unique trio of exclusive bottlings designated as its Extra Matured Range (EMR):

Glenmorangie LasantaElegant but full bodied this whisky has spent ten years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks before being extra-matured for a further two years in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks from Jerez in Spain. Lasanta is Gaelic for warmth and passion, a reminder not just of the Spanish provenance of these Oloroso sherry casks, but also a reflection of this expressions lusciously soft texture and deep, enticingly sweet aroma.

Glenmorangie Quinta RubanThe darkest and most intense single malt Scotch whisky in the extra-matured range, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban has spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks, before being transferred into specially selected ruby (Ruban is Gaelic for "Ruby") port pipes (barrels) from the Quintas (or wine estates) of Portugal.

Extra maturation in these port pipes develops Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban into a voluptuous spirit with a complex balance of sweet and dry flavors and an intriguing contrast of smooth and crisp, cooling textures.

AromaDark mint chocolate, tangerines and Seville oranges mingle with sandalwood and walnut before giving way to a spicy finish of pepper and nutmeg.TasteMint chocolate and walnuts envelop the palate like velvet, laying the foundations for rose, Turkish delight and sweet Seville oranges.FinishLong lasting silky aftertaste leaving dark chocolate mints and traces of orange.ColourSunlit rose gold

Glenmorangie Nectar D'ÒrIt is here, in hand selected wine barriques from Sauternes: the most famous and ancient sweet wine growing region of France, that this whisky develops its rich, spicy and dessert-like flavors; the name "Nectar d'Or" in French translates to "Golden Nectar."

"A captivating single malt whisky with a tremendous 'gourmand' appeal, The Nectar D'Òr is Glenmorangie's delicious, complex base spirit that, after a minimum of 10 years in ex-bourbon casks, is then extra matured in specially hand selected Sauternes wine barriques."

Glenmorangie 18 Years OldThe 18 Years Old is a single malt Scotch whisky of serious distinction. Once it has spent fifteen years maturing in American white oak casks approximately 30% is transferred into Spanish Oloroso casks to spend a further three years maturing. Then, when both elements have reached 18 years, we blend them back together to create a whisky with a rich bouquet and full, rounded flavor.

AromaRich, rounded and sweet with dried fruits and a complex floral fragrance.TasteThe taste is balanced between honey, malt and flowery scents. Dates and figs emerge in the background with a hint of wood smoke.FinishThe finish is long and enticing with the sweetness of dried fruit and subtle dryness of Oloroso nuttiness.ColourHoneyed gold

Glenmorangie 25 Years Old The rarest and oldest member of the Glenmorangie family, this is a single malt Scotch whisky of notable class and intensity. Full bodied and sumptuous, the Glenmorangie 25 Years Old is the real embodiment of our continued dedication to perfection. Matured in a range of casks including American white oak, Oloroso sherry casks and French Burgundy casks before being blended back together in exact quantities, the Glenmorangie Quarter Century is complex, bursting with deep flavors, and a perfect testimony to our knowledge and experience.

AromaThe first impression is of dried fruits - blackberries, cherries, plums and dates interwoven with chocolate and coffee.TasteBig and full-flavored. Deep forest fruits burst on the tongue with mouth-watering blackberries and redcurrants emerging with bramble jelly.FinishLong and gentle, with brambles and warming spices.ColourOld gold

Glenmorangie SignetA fusion of unique and rare elements, and clouded in secrecy, Signet is the culmination of a lifetime's experience. A blend of our oldest single malt Scotch whiskies - distilled over thirty years ago when malting still occurred on site - and spirit matured in a selection of the world's finest casks, this undoubtedly is the richest single malt Scotch whisky in our range. For more information on the story behind the name, the Glenmorangie website (www.glenmorangie.com) has information about Signet and the Cadboll Stone.